TBR Football

Manchester United have a history of pinching some of Tottenham’s best players over the years.

Indeed, the likes of Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Carrick swapped Spurs for United in the 2000s, while United did want to sign Harry Kane from Tottenham at one point.

Teddy Sheringham is another player who joined United from Tottenham, and according to the striker, everyone at United also wanted to sign another Spurs player at that time.

Speaking on the Off The Shelf Podcast, Sheringham says that everyone at Manchester United often used to ask Sheringham to convince Darren Anderton to come to Old Trafford.

Everyone at Manchester United wanted Darren Anderton signed

Sheringham spoke about how highly-rated Anderton was as a player.

The striker says that a number of players from Manchester United wanted Anderton signed, and a deal nearly happened at one point.

However, Anderton ultimately decided to stay at Spurs up until 2004.

Ian Wright said Anderton was a fantastic player, and there’s a reason why United wanted him.

“All the Man United boys that I used to, like we played with England. When I went from Tottenham to Man United, they were like, Shaggy (Darren Anderton), he’s brilliant. And they were like, what a player, get him to come to Man United.

And he nearly went to Man United at a time, probably after about three or four years, when, in my first spell, but he didn’t go. Probably because I said to him, don’t go, Shaggy, stay. And then two years later, I went to Man United.

“He was like, where are you going? Sorry, mate, I’ve got to go.”

What Darren Anderton said about failed Manchester United move

Anderton never got his move to United, and speaking on the Quickly Kevin, Will He Score? Podcast, the midfielder discussed his failed move to Old Trafford.

The England international says that he does have some regrets about not joining United, but, ultimately, he was happy at Spurs around that time.

“I regret not winning all those trophies and playing in that team would’ve been amazing, but at the time I was so happy at Spurs,” Anderton said.

“Euro 96 was coming, I didn’t want to go somewhere else and maybe have a bit of a struggle and not be part of that.

“That summer they did get rid of Hughes, Kanchelskis and Ince. I thought, ‘Well I’m in the right place here.’

“Spurs fans were really great with me when I first went and really struggled. I always remember that and this was two and a half, three years in and I wasn’t ready to jump ship.

“That was the summer Alan Hansen came out with, ‘You’ll never win anything with kids’, so no-one knew what was coming. Of course I’d have loved to have played in those teams. They were great teams.”

Of course, Anderton snubbing United may have been for the best for the Red Devils too.

Around that time, a young midfielder by the name of Paul Scholes was coming through the ranks, and perhaps if Anderton was at United at that point, Scholes wouldn’t have had the chances he would eventually get in the coming years.

Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea are ready to head to head for the signing of one of the Premier League’s most underrated attackers this season.

Both London clubs are keen to strengthen their attacks in the summer and are now reportedly looking at the same target.

Ange Postecoglou is still missing some fire power in the wide areas and a right winger could be the priority for Tottenham Hotspur this summer.

Meanwhile, Chelsea are also on the hunt for a winger, although a striker appears to be the most pressing issue at Stamford Bridge for the next transfer window.

Tottenham and Chelsea would have ‘no problem’ paying ‘significant money’ for Antoine Semenyo

Tottenham and Chelsea would have ‘no problem putting significant money on the table’ to beat Napoli to the signing of Antoine Semenyo, according to AreaNapoli.

The Italian club are keen on the winger, however, they will face strong competition from several Premier League clubs who undoubtedly have great financial power.

Bournemouth are understood to hold a high valuation of the 25-year-old, which is between £33-42 million.

Arsenal have also been linked with Semenyo who has been making a big impression on the South Coast this season under Andoi Ireola.

Semneyo has revealed he is an Arsenal fan which could place the Gunners in the driving seat if they were to firmly enter the race for the Ghanaian international.

Antoine Semenyo names Destiny Udogie as one of his toughest opponents

Semenyo, who had a trial at Arsenal, has already spoken very highly of one of Tottenham’s players having named Destiny Udogie as one of his toughest opponents he has faced.

The Bournemouth winger placed the Italian alongside some real esteemed company in Virgil van Dijk and Ola Aina.

Speaking about his toughest opponents he’s faced, Semenyo told BR Football: “I would say Udogie as well. Tough, tough player to come up against.”

TBR Football understand Crystal Palace are attempting to tie Oliver Glasner – who Tottenham admire – down to a new contract.

The Austrian has done a tremendous job at Selhurst Park this season, bouncing back from just one win in the first nine Premier League outings to sit above Spurs and Manchester United on 39 points.

Only Liverpool – with 25 – have won more Premier League points in 2025 than Crystal Palace’s 19.

The man from Salzburg also guided the Eagles to the Carabao Cup quarter-final, and has an FA Cup quarter-final against Fulham coming up on Saturday 29th March.

As Crystal Palace attempt to tie Oliver Glasner down to a new deal, sources have shared further information with TBR Football.

Tottenham and Borussia Dortmund admire Oliver Glasner as Crystal Palace discuss new contract

Graeme Bailey – Chief Correspondent at TBR Football – has now been told Crystal Palace want to reward Glasner for his excellent work since replacing Roy Hodgson in February 2024.

The 50-year-old is happy in SE25 and understands Steve Parish stuck by him amidst a terrible start to the season.

However, we are aware Glasner wants assurances that Crystal Palace are keen to build on the current squad, and become a side who consistently aim for the top eight.

In the background, TBR Football understand the Crystal Palace boss has admirers at Tottenham, and is an option if Spurs decide to move on from Ange Postecoglou.

However, a return to Germany could also occur, with Borussia Dortmund fans.

Furthermore, Bayer Leverkusen could lose Xabi Alonso this summer, and TBR Football are aware that Glasner – who Bayern Munich approached in 2024 – features on their shortlist of potential replacements for the Spaniard.

Oliver Glasner has already praised five Tottenham players

If Tottenham opt to sack Postecoglou and target the Crystal Palace boss, Glasner has already expressed his admiration for five players at Spurs.

Speaking ahead of Crystal Palace 1-0 Tottenham back in October, he said: “(Tottenham will bring) intensity, runs, pace, high quality. I just heard that maybe Son is not available but, you know, they’ve bought Solanke, a top striker of the Premier League.

“They have Brennan Johnson. He’s in great shape, a lot of pace. They have Kulusevski. Richarlison had his comeback (against Alkmaar). They have Timo Werner. They have a very good midfield, they have a lot of pace in defence, so it’s all about intensity.”

Mathys Tel raised the excitement levels at Tottenham Hotspur when he decided to join them on loan.

Spurs were mostly quiet in January, but Daniel Levy and Ange Postecoglou became very active in the final days of the transfer window.

Tottenham’s top target was Tel, but he rejected them. That was viewed as a huge blow for Spurs, but the Bayern Munich attacker changed his mind just a few days later.

Spurs completed the signing of Tel on loan on deadline day, and the North Londoners have an option to make that move permanent in the summer as well.

But, Tel hasn’t quite had the kind of impact that many thought he would since he joined Tottenham.

What Tottenham coaches privately think of Mathys Tel after his struggles

Tel has been at Tottenham for a little over a month now, and he has had his highs and lows.

The Frenchman scored a lovely goal against Aston Villa in his second game for Spurs, but since then, he hasn’t quite been able to have as good an impact as he would’ve liked.

Tel was subbed off at half-time in the game against AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League last week and the teenager was an unused substitute when Bournemouth came to town in the Premier League at the weekend.

The Bayern Munich loanee has come under a fair bit of criticism too, with some fans questioning whether he should be signed on a permanent deal for big money in the summer.

Tottenham’s coaches and members of the hierarchy, however, have no doubts about Tel – they are convinced that he will come good.

That’s according to GiveMeSport, who claim that ‘there is confidence behind the scenes that there is still bags of potential to unlock’ in Tel in the coming months and years.

It has further been added that Tel is viewed as an ‘attractive option on the left flank at a time when there is growing uncertainty over captain Heung-min Son’s future’.

Troy Deeney reacts to Mathys Tel getting criticised

One goal in six games is not the record Tottenham fans were hoping to see from Tel, but that is what has happened so far.

That has led to some criticism from some sections of the fan base, but Troy Deeney has jumped into the young Frenchman’s defence.

He has claimed that Tel may not be able to show his best form until the 2026/27 season, but Spurs should still stick with him.

Deeney said on talkSPORT: “He’s moving countries, he’s in London. I don’t care what anyone says, London has distractions, as we all know. You’re now trying to learn a team, a team that’s depleted and injury-prone. By the way, you’re meant to go in and enforce that and change it.

“He hasn’t played enough games to know who and what he is. So I think it (criticism) is massively unfair.

“You won’t see the best of him, probably not next season, but the season after. But they’re going to have to put a framework in and around him.”

Football has an exit problem. Daniel Levy, who values Tottenham at £3.75bn, is chairman and co-owner of one the few clubs who make a cash profit every year. Yet still, Spurs are struggling to find a buyer.

On paper, Tottenham have lost £288m since they moved into their new stadium in 2019. But there is a saying in football finance that reveals the truth: revenue is vanity, profit is sanity, but cash is reality.

A club’s ‘profit’ or ‘loss’ is not in fact a measure of how much money is flowing in and out of Daniel Levy business, which has probably the best underlying financial metrics of any Premier League club.

Instead, the £288m they have ‘lost’ since the move away from White Hart Lane includes non-cash items like player transfer amortisation and, most significantly in Spurs’ case, depreciation.

The depreciation charge on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is around £70m per year, but that is a useful fiction to write down the cost of the asset over its lifetime. It’s not a cash cost.

This is the reason why the North Londoners have zero issues with Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), either under the Premier League or UEFA’s formulation.

Even in a bad year – and 2024-25 under Ange Postecoglou is proving exactly that – Spurs will generate a cash surplus, unlike many of their peers in the Premier League who require equity funding or loans.

Commercially, ENIC’s club goes from strength to strength, even if the same can’t be said about things on the pitch.

Sponsorship, merchandise, and events are extraordinarily lucrative to Spurs. They have capitalised on the prestige the new stadium has given them with a best-in-class commercial and brand building operation.

Meanwhile, they have shown more control of the wage bill than any other club in the Premier League, where there has been an arms race in terms of recruitment and retention thanks to soaring TV cash.

Of course, these aren’t the metrics that matter to fans. The opposite, in fact. But they are, in theory, what should make Tottenham so attractive to investors.

Levy’s valuation of the club is said by some to be slightly high, though most agree it is not wildly over the top, especially when one considers what Ineos and Clearlake have paid for Man United and Chelsea.

In terms of compound growth, Spurs looks like a better investment opportunity than almost any other asset class in business. Enterprise value has increased by an average of 16 per cent annually since 2010.

But things seem to have ground to a halt in terms of ENIC’s search for fresh investment, whether in the form of a full or partial takeover.

Amanda Staveley has been linked with minority investment, while unnamed private investors from Qatar are also said to be interested.

But rather than the beginning of the end that many fans hoped for when Levy announced the search for investment in April last year, we many not even be at the end of the beginning.

Despite the lack of trophies, easily the nadir of the ENIC era so far has been the European Super League debacle in 2021, when only the collective will of fans in N17 and beyond prevented the breakaway plot.

If they had pulled it off, the enterprise value of Spurs would have skyrocketed overnight, with bigger profits and revenue streams guaranteed in a closed-shop, US franchise sport-style league.

The financial volatility of the Premier League and European football – where the Champions League can be make or break – makes it less appealing to investors than the NFL, NBA and MLB in the US.

But now, in the culmination of a process that started almost as soon as the Super League was aborted, the competition is back.

Could Spurs be tempted, in contrast to their official position? TBR Football spoke exclusively to Liverpool University football finance for his take.

Tottenham secretly in favour of new Super League plot, says finance expert

In December last year, A22 Sports Management, the company backed by Real Madrid president and Daniel Levy crony Florentino Perez, unveiled their plans for Super League 2.0.

This time, the proposal is for a wider league system with promotion and relegation from domestic competition and, ostensibly, more equitable financial distribution mechanisms.

Last week, A22 CEO Bernd Reichart said he has spoken to 10 English clubs about the possibility of joining up, with many purportedly keen on the idea given the £2.7bn in prize money they think they can offer.

Could Tottenham be among them? “Privately, they will be in favour of Super League,” says Maguire, host of the Price of Football podcast.

“They are 13th in the Premier League. Under A22’s proposal, they can offer them almost guaranteed participation in the Star League [the top league of the revised format] each year.

“While it won’t be a closed shop in formal terms, it will effectively be in the sense that the Premier League is a closed shop for all intents and purposes.

“A bad season for Spurs in the Premier League is finishing 12th or 13th and a bad season in the Star League will be similar, but they are unlikely to be relegated from either league.

“That is different from the Champions League, where you can be in it one season and not the next, with a huge swing in revenue as a result.”

Spurs and ENIC can’t afford another PSR disaster

Either late this year or early next, the government will bring an independent football regulatory into law.

The regulator, which is making its way through Parliament, is expected to have the power to block clubs from joining breakaway competitions.

“Spurs will say one thing in private and another in public,” says Maguire on the Super League plans in light of the regulator, “but from an optics point of view they can’t be seen to be coming out in favour of this.

“Unless there is a major change in public opinion and the regulator’s position, they can’t be seen to be extolling its virtues, but it would help to de-risk the Champions League issue in terms of revenue volatility.

“It may be that this is simply a ploy to extract more money from UEFA.”

The latest on Daniel Levy’s search for takeover or new investment

While they only went public with the news in April 2024, ENIC and Levy have been looking for fresh investment for several years.

Previously, Spurs held talks with Todd Boehly and Jonathan Goldstein before they invested in Chelsea.

The private equity firm MSP Sports Capital and new Everton owner Dan Friedkin were also interested at one point.

While the structure of any potential deal isn’t clear, Paris Saint-Germain owners Qatar Sports Investments have engaged with the club too. Their president, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, is a close ally of Levy.

Amanda Staveley meanwhile, who is said to have raised £500m for her next investment project, confirmed she was in talks with a Premier League club following her exit from Newcastle United last summer.

Though she stopped short of naming Spurs – probably because of an NDA – it is clear that the North Londoners are in her sights.

But with the regulator issues still to shake out, macroeconomic conditions unfavourable, and Levy’s negotiating style to navigate, don’t expect an announcement any time soon.

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is arguably the best arena in England – if not across the entire globe.

Opened in April 2019 at a cost of £1.2bn – with delays causing Spurs to spend two seasons playing home games at Wembley – it is a quite remarkable stadium.

The manner in which pints of beer are poured – strangely from bottom to top – even went viral once the stadium opened, while there is also a Go Kart track underneath the stadium!

Here is all you need to know about the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – ranging from capacity to concerts.

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium capacity

The capacity of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is currently 62,850.

This makes it the largest club stadium in London, just ahead of the London Stadium – where West Ham play – which boasts 62,500 seats.

How to get to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

There are many ways to reach the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – although the best route is arguably by using the train – and the London Underground for those already in London.

You can see the four closest train stations below.

Tickets

A £1.2bn stadium unfortunately comes with some pretty expensive tickets – and anybody hoping to attend a game will need to obtain a One Hotspur membership.

Tottenham’s official website describe it as “the only way you can attend” – starting from £22.50 with junior memberships starting from just £10 at the time of writing.

Spurs also offer Premium Matchday Experiences – the most expensive of which, called The Locker Room, costing £649 per person.

Tottenham fans were left furious back in March 2024 when season ticket prices increased by 6% – despite little success on the pitch.

Gabriel Agbonlahor was also livid after hearing the news.

NFL schedule

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is a multi-sport arena, with a retractable pitch making it easy for NFL (National Football League) games to be hosted in N17.

In fact, it is the only NFL-purpose built stadium outside of the United States.

The New York Jets lost to the Minnesota Vikings in October 2024 – while the Jacksonville Jaguars were defeated by the Chicago Bears.

In 2025, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will host the New York Jets and the Cleveland Browns as part of the 2025 NFL International Games – with the official schedule to be announced soon.

Concerts

Spurs also host concerts at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Beyonce has already appeared in N17 since the arena opened – with the likes of Kendrick Lamar and Post Malone to come in 2025.

Boxing

Tottenham can also host boxing in N17.

Chris Eubank Jr is set to fight Conor Benn on Saturday 26th April – with the undercard as follows.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has a strong track record of giving chances to young players across his career to date.

When he arrived at Tottenham, Postecoglou immediately threw the likes of Destiny Udogie into the starting eleven, when other managers might have been more reserved.

Spurs’ recruitment has been focused on buying youngsters with rich potential recently, and Daniel Levy must believe that he has the right manager to nurture those young talents.

Tottenham spent big on Archie Gray in the summer who has already played an unprecedented amount of minutes for the first team, even if that is partly due to the injuries the club have suffered.

But Postecoglou’s decision to include the likes of 17-year-old Mikey Moore has been purely down to the youngster’s ability and potential, a special talent.

Luca Williams-Barnett ready for his first team chance under Ange Postecoglou

That being said, Spurs arguably have an even more exciting prospect coming through their academy right now, 16-year-old midfielder Luca Williams-Barnett.

Williams-Barnett has scored 19 goals in 23 games for Tottenham’s under-18s side this season, numbers that forego what Moore was even able to manage.

And the youngster delivered another moment for his highlight reel in Spurs’ 6-4 win over Arsenal on Saturday, the under-18s North London Derby.

Williams-Barnett played 90 minutes as Spurs’ #10 and starred throughout, scoring twice and providing one assist for winger Tynan Thompson to grab a goal.

It’s quickly becoming clear that the ‘spectacular’ youngster has become too good for under-18s football, which could lead to an exciting opportunity under Postecoglou next season.

Tottenham could wait on Luca Williams-Barnett instead of buying Eberechi Eze

Given Williams-Barnett appears ready for his first taste of senior football, many might conclude that the midfielder should head out on loan for the 2025/26 season.

However, as was the case with Moore, it seems as if Spurs prefer to keep their top talents at the club to develop.

That’s no slight on players like Ashley Phillips and Yang min-Hyeok who are improving out on loan, but Moore and Williams-Barnett are arguably in a category of their own.

Postecoglou will assess Tottenham’s youngsters in pre-season when many of them return from loan, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Williams-Barnett was then in the first team conversation.

Spurs have appeared keen to present a clear first-team path to Moore to keep the youngster incentivised, and they’re likely to do similar with Williams-Barnett.

Two incredibly exciting talents, and ones who could save Spurs fortunes in the future.

Tottenham still want Eberechi Eze this summer, but perhaps they would be better served promoting Williams-Barnett and saving themselves a fortune, a player who can be just as good in the future.

A lot of this season is still left to be played, but Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou is already making plans for the 2025/26 campaign.

Spurs have had a really poor season so far. They are out of both domestic cups, are currently 13th in the Premier League table and are a goal down ahead of the second leg of their Europa League clash.

Things are not going to plan at all for Postecoglou, and Tottenham fans are demanding more from their side – on the pitch as well as in the transfer market.

However, Postecoglou is keeping an eye on internal solutions too, and one academy graduate seems to have impressed him.

Ange Postecoglou’s plan for Dane Scarlett at Tottenham

Dane Scarlett is a product of the Tottenham Hotspur youth system.

The talented forward came through the ranks at the club’s academy before making his competitive debut as a 16-year-old under Jose Mourinho back in 2020.

Scarlett has made a total of 23 appearances for Spurs so far and has even gone out on three different loan spells over the years.

Postecoglou decided to keep him at the club in January after recalling him from Oxford United, and the Tottenham boss has been impressed with him.

That’s according to GiveMeSport, who have revealed that ‘Postecoglou has been convinced that Scarlett deserves more game time after making cameo appearances from the bench since his return’ from loan.

The Australian has decided to hand more opportunities to the young forward in the 2025/26 season instead of sending him out on loan this summer.

Since his return in January, Scarlett has played four times under Postecoglou – twice in the Premier League and twice in the Europa League. He boasts a goal and two assists in those appearances.

What Jose Mourinho once said about Dane Scarlett is very interesting

Scarlett got his first taste of senior football at Tottenham when Mourinho was at the helm.

The Special One saw something in the youngster back then – when he was just 16 – and he believed that Scarlett was destined to be a success.

“He is a diamond, a kid with incredible potential,” Mourinho said in February 2021, as per talkSPORT.

“He has worked many times with the first team and that gives him a different personality. He is still 16, 17 soon [in March] and I believe next season he will be a first-team squad player because he has a lot of talent.

“He is going to be a fantastic player and I hope everything around him goes well. He is a striker, a number nine, I have been playing him from the sides similar to Marcus Rashford and he is very clever.”

Tottenham Hotspur have a number of issues at the moment.

Internally, Tottenham believe consistency is a big issue in their squad right now, while others have claimed that Tottenham lack leaders.

Speaking on TalkSPORT, Harry Redknapp has been discussing Spurs’ leadership situation, and he’s touched on Heung-Min Son’s suitability in the role as captain.

Interestingly, Redknapp says that he wouldn’t have chosen Son as his captain.

Ange Postecoglou made Son captain at the start of last season, and fans have recently questioned Son in that role.

Redknapp doesn’t believe Son is suited to this leadership role, despite his ability and legacy as a player.

Harry Redknapp wouldn’t have made Heung-Min Son captain

Redknapp spoke about Son and his role as the captain of Tottenham.

The former Spurs boss says the £22m man shouldn’t be the skipper, pointing out Archie Gray as a potential alternative, despite his age.

“There’s nobody there who you’d say, no disrespect but Son is a good player, but I couldn’t see him as a captain,” Redknapp said.

“He plays out on the left wing, he wouldn’t be my choice as the captain. Who is there? I came back the other day and said they’d probably end up with Archie Gray, and he’s 18, it’s crazy.”

Tottenham’s other captain option

There does appear to be a real leadership vacuum at Tottenham right now, but there is a left-field captain option that Spurs may want to consider.

Indeed, Kevin Danso could be the next Tottenham captain.

Danso has only just arrived at Tottenham, but he already looks the part.

Danso is apparently already a real leader behind-the-scenes, and Danso is set to join Spurs’ leadership group before too long.

It’s clear that the defender isn’t afraid of stepping up into these roles, and while he’s not the most seasoned player in the squad, perhaps he’s just what Spurs need in this captaincy role.

It may not be something that Ange Postecoglou thinks about immediately, but if Son needs replacing as captain, then Danso should probably come into his thinking.

Jurgen Klopp has missed out on some blockbuster transfers over the years.

Indeed, under Klopp’s management, Liverpool had a bid accepted for Moises Caicedo, only for Caicedo to join Chelsea instead, while Jude Bellingham was a key Liverpool target before his move to Real Madrid.

On top of that, Liverpool wanted Aurelien Tchouameni before his move to Real Madrid too.

Speaking on a video released by Goal South Africa, Jurgen Klopp has been discussing some of the signings he could have made during his career.

Interestingly, Klopp says he could’ve signed Sadio Mane when he was at Borussia Dortmund, while Klopp also says he could’ve signed Heung-Min Son for Dortmund as well.

Jurgen Klopp regrets not signing Heung-Min Son

Klopp says he could’ve signed Son before his £22m move to Tottenham.

Son was playing for Hamburg at the time, and according to the German, he could’ve come to Dortmund.

“There’s a Dortmund supporter here so I have to apologise to him because I didn’t sign Sadio Mane for Dortmund,” Klopp said.

“I could say I was young and naïve but I was not that young and not that naïve. I realised when we took him to Liverpool ‘oh my God that’s a lot of money for a guy I could have had years ago for much less.’

“And I could’ve signed Son from Tottenham – from Hamburg at that time,” Klopp added. “I don’t even remember why [he chose not to], but I just faced him in the Premier League and thought ‘my God you dumb —-!’ It’s crazy.”

Heung-Min Son record vs Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool

Klopp regrets not signing Son for Dortmund, and it’s easy to understand why.

Son is a world-class player who would’ve improved that Dortmund side drastically, and he was also a real thorn in the side of Klopp during his time in the Premier League.

Son always knew how to find the net against Liverpool under Klopp. In fact, he scored in each of his last five games against Klopp’s Liverpool.

Intriguingly, Son wanted to sign for Liverpool at one point according to reports, while pundits would often say Son would be a perfect signing for Liverpool.

Unfortunately, Klopp never got the chance to manage the Spurs star, but, in a lot of ways, this would’ve been a match made in heaven.